Reader, I Married Him
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'Starts with a gun, ends with a bullet, and takes in a northern Italian gastronomic tour ... This is Shirley Valentine meets Room with a View: an eccentric and enjoyable romp to take to Italy and savour' Guardian 'Food, flowers, buildings, clothes, sex, all portrayed in the tender, jewelled colours of a Florentine fresco' The Times 'Michele Roberts is on sparkling form ... A story that is nimble on its feet, and plays cleverly with form and expectations' Financial Times 'Chiselled phrasing and dancing plot... A sizzling firework display of a book' Sunday Times 'A deliciously black and breezy affair, the perfect antidote to dull winter days. The scenario is that of a standard romance... but don't be deceived: Michele
GUARDIAN
'This is Shirley Valentine meets Room with a View: an eccentric and enjoyable romp to take to Italy and savour'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I went to listen to Michele Roberts at the Edinburgh book festival last year and bought this novel afterwards as it sounded like an interesting, high class chick lit kind of book. Chick lit it was, high class it was not. It was derivative, FULL of badly spelt Italian words (I am Italian. I know) and inaccuracies (like saying that Le Cinque Terre is on the Tuscan coast, when it is actually in Liguria) and at times, extremely coarse and vulgar, which just didn't fit in with the rest of the wishy washy, bland narrative. Characters were not engaging and the story line was rather trite and unappealing. It achieved the results of putting me off this author.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had to apologise to the book group last week as I had recommended this book, having heard that she was a great writer. Our book group has been going for over 12 years and this is the only book that every single one of us disliked - never have we been so unanimous in our opinions.
We could not engage with the heroine, found the plot flimsy, aimless and trivial and the characterisation was poor.
On a positive note the descriptions of food and family warmth were good and there were some beautiful descriptive extracts, but not enough to redeem the book. When we read the flattering blurb on the back of the book we howled with laughter. As a final comment one member said, 'At least it was short.'
We could not engage with the heroine, found the plot flimsy, aimless and trivial and the characterisation was poor.
On a positive note the descriptions of food and family warmth were good and there were some beautiful descriptive extracts, but not enough to redeem the book. When we read the flattering blurb on the back of the book we howled with laughter. As a final comment one member said, 'At least it was short.'
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
Silly read
21 April 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Disappointed in this book after a review in the NY Times which caused me to buy it. Silly all around. Very little comedy.
A Deadly Farce
6 Feb 2009
Format:Paperback
When I started this book, it seemed to be a sedate drama, but it quickly turned into a somewhat twisted comedy. It reminded me of some of the darker moments in Shakespeare's comedies. The book follows Aurora (or Dawn), a middle-aged woman who has just been widowed for the third time. She travels from England to Italy, where she meets with old friends and family members, and makes new acquaintances. It slowly becomes apparent that not only is Aurora not entirely who she appears to be, but neither are any of the people around her. Priests, nuns, museum directors, and even her elderly mother-in-law, everyone is hiding something. The matter of fact way that Aurora accepts all the twists and turns presented to her on her trip adds additional amusement to already funny situations.
At times the book was a bit slow, and I had a hard time keeping track of the relationships between all the minor characters. But in general, this was a very solid effort. If you like dark comedies, I'd urge you to give this novel a try.
At times the book was a bit slow, and I had a hard time keeping track of the relationships between all the minor characters. But in general, this was a very solid effort. If you like dark comedies, I'd urge you to give this novel a try.
An arch take on romance novels
29 May 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a romance novel for those who don't normally read romance novels. If the idea of an dry British oddball heroine in Italy making fun of everyone else appeals to you, you'll likely be happy with this book.
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